A history of the invention of the transistor and where it will lead us

TLDR

The transistor was discovered in 1947 by Bardeen and Brattain at Bell Labs, and fifty years later the authors continue to work with silicon, now integrating optical components and advancing silicon technology while reflecting on the original investigation of surface states. The authors aim to celebrate the transistor’s discovery by outlining its historical milestones and key contributors. They achieve this by presenting a concise historical narrative of major events and influential figures. They conclude that Bardeen and Brattain’s work was a discovery rather than an invention.

Abstract

Fifty years ago, in November 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain discovered the transistor on the fourth floor of Building 1 at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ. Fifty years later, the authors are still working with silicon but it is a very different silicon effort. Currently with the silicon optical bench they are trying to integrate optical components the way transistors have been over the last 50 years. So, silicon technology is still progressing. When considering the invention of the transistor, the authors note that the work of Bardeen and Brattain was really a discovery not an invention. At the time they discovered transistor action, they were investigating the nature of surface states and ways to reduce their presence. It was only later that things really became clear as to what was going on. Fifty years later that discovery is celebrated, and the authors present a brief history of the major events and the key people involved.